Islamabad, Oct 18: Pakistan’s national football team won a World Cup qualifying game for the first time, beating Cambodia 1-0 here to advance to the second round in Asia.
After the first leg in Phnom Penh finished 0-0, an angled left-foot half-volley from Harun Hamid on Tuesday was enough to secure victory at Jinnah Sports Stadium in a first home game for Pakistan since 2015.
It was also the first win for Pakistan, ranked 197th, since 2018. It joins Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Jordan in Group G of Asian qualifying, which kicks off next month.
Pakistan was banned by FIFA in April 2021 for 15 months because of “undue third party interference” – its second ban in four years.
Pakistan will be joined in the second stage by nine other teams after two-leg, home-and-away series for the Asian Football Confederation’s 20 lowest-ranked teams.
With no domestic league since 2018, Pakistan’s English coach Stephen Constantine, appointed just 13 days before the first of the qualifying games last week, pulled off the historic win while facing a difficult job. (AP)
